Sunday, January 26, 2014

Given that my interests
range from Mycenae to the Middle Byzantine and most things in between I was
pleasantly surprised when I got to see the Hellenic Armor’s website. While the site is mainly in Greek you can switch on
Google translator to help you out.

Many armourers come from
a purely technical background. They rely on the research work of others and
while their technical skills are excellent their research lets them down. Or
they use tools and techniques that weren’t around during the period. Hellenic
Armors are all hand forged (without machine hammers) in Greece by their creator Dimitris Katsikis.

As partof the ProgrammeofCulturalEvents"Science
-Society-E Circle"on "The War in the timeof Byzantium" held between 01-29/03/2011at theNationalResearchFoundationunderthe
organization of theInstituteof
ByzantineResearch (IBR ),
attendees hadthe opportunityto seeByzantinearmorreconstructionsbasedon archaeologicaland artisticmonumentsof the era(10th-13th
century). Creatorof the exhibitsisDimitrisKatsikiswho after asuccessful reportto theDumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection (Trustees for Harvard
University)inWashington DClaunched the firstpartof the works ofthe Greek public.The circleopenedtalkswith the speech ofthe Directorof the Institute ofByzantine ResearchProfessorCommanderG.Kollias.

Dimitris
is frank and
admits that the “linothorax question” is far from settled and that the literary
and archaeological evidence is insufficient to make hard and fast
pronouncements. However, he has examined the research material available, archaeological
finds and the variety of armour typologies represented in the iconography of vases and sculpture to inform his
construction techniques. In each of the examples he has on his web site he
cites the inspiration
for his work.

Dimitris
has four linothorakes on his website and admits these are experimental
reconstructions. In each case he explains the sources he has relied upon to
inform his construction decisions. His approach is refreshingly honest and
avoids the exaggeration made by some suppliers only interested in making a
dollar from the public. To date Dimitris has invested a lot of time in research
at the same time as continuing his busy professional life. What I like about his stuff is that it doesn’t
look like a flimsy Halloween costume.

He has made Sasanian armour based on the Dura-Europos drawing, has had his
ancient Greek armour exhibited in Korea and in May
- August 2010 his replicas of Byzantine armour were
displayed during the exhibition Military
Men in Byzantium: Emperors, Saints, and Soldiers at Arms at Dumbarton Oaks.
His works were also exhibited at " War in the time of Byzantium " event
held between 1st – 29th May, 2011 at the National Research Foundation under the
auspices of the Institute of Byzantine Research (IBR) in Greece.

Below is the experimental klibanion based on the 11th C fresco of St Nestor in Kastoria Greece. You are too late to buy this one it has a new home but I am sure Dimitris can make you one!